The invention relates to a joint framework for glass building units, which consist of a plurality of glass units, in particular glass blocks.
Glass building units according to the invention are generally glass plates which differ from simple panes of glass by the profiling of their edge, it being possible for at least one of the major faces of the glass unit to be profiled for its part. Glass blocks generally combine two such glass units which are mutually offset and connected by their rear sides.
Glass building units according to the invention are generally prefabricated compound units which are built into one or more space limitations of a building. They are preferably floor units, which due to their construction from glass units, allow the incidence of light and, due to their reinforced mortar or concrete joints, absorb their own weight and transfer it to structures of the building. Such glass building units are generally fabricated horizontally, by laying out the glass units apart from one another by the joint spacing, introducing the joint reinforcement into the joint spaces and then filling the joints with mortar or concrete. The underlying joint surfaces in fabrication must be encased. This produces joint faces as smooth as the framework, which is of significance in particular on the visible side of the glass building unit.
For glass building units which are used in the vertical building confinements, that is in walls or internal dividing walls, a joint framework is known on which the invention is based. In this case, the glass units are bricked in situ, i.e., the glass building unit is built up from bottom to top. The joint framework consists of continuous profiles, which are used for the horizontal wall joints, and of profile sections, with which the vertical joints are encased. The profile sections are connected to the horizontal joint limitations, producing outer frames on both sides of the glass building unit, which enclose the glass units and mask the joint faces.
While the joint framework according to the invention is a type of permanent framework, hitherto repeatedly reusable frameworks have generally been used for the horizontal fabrication of glass building units. These consist of a matrix in the form of a mat-shaped mould, in the recesses of which the glass units are laid before the joints are cast following introduction of the reinforcement. The glass building units thus fabricated do not have any outer frames but joint faces as smooth as the framework. This frequently requires different mortars in the joints in order to bring about the necessary strength on the one hand and the sealing of the joint on the other hand, because the joint mortar or concrete interacting with the reinforcement is generally not watertight. Consequently, fabrication of the units is hampered not inconsiderably. It is also difficult to obtain in this way joints which, for reasons of strength, must have relatively large dimensions to the plane of the glass building unit. This applies in particular to glass building units of considerable dimensions which are exposed to stresses transversely to their principal plane. For example, load-bearing floor units which are made as glass building units must, due to the considerable weight of the glass units and the resultant stresses, be made with joints which project to one side beyond the glass units, which later in the building is usually the inside.